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Understanding mobility of pesticides is an important part of environmental toxicology and chemistry. Pesticides need to be mobile enough to allow them to be transported to the site of action. On the other hand, pesticides that are too mobile will rapidly dissipate once applied to the target area and contaminate water and sediment. Many factors can affect the mobility of pesticides in soil and water including soil characteristics, pesticide properties, and timing of application.

It is well established that insects and plants have shared a long evolutionary history with one another. Due to this evolutionary “arms race,” plants have developed some truly fascinating ways to deter insects from feeding upon them, such as production of various terpenoid compounds that repel or kill insect pests. Our lab is interested in isolating plant-derived compounds that may act as natural repellents.

It is important to understand the degradation and persistence of pesticides in soil and water in order to maximize pesticide efficacy while minimizing any detrimental effects they may have on the ecosystem.